RNP Chapter 202 The Secret of the Gold and Silver Balls
Chapter 202 The Secret of the Gold and Silver Balls
Chapter 202 The Secret of the Gold and Silver Balls (Part 2)
The loud noise at the cave entrance immediately attracted Ash and his friends, who quickly went down to check what was happening.
After going down into the cave, you walk along a small path to reach the inside of the well.
This place is actually a huge, damp cave; it's a truly peculiar structure.
"Look, there's water over there, Xiaozhi!" Xiaoxia exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the spring at the bottom of the cave.
Discovering such a clear spring in such arid conditions is truly heartwarming.
However, the Slowpokes living near this spring are being chased by a giant gopher-like robot.
The Gopher Machine extends a large net from each of its two drill-like hands, scooping up the Slowpokes like it's catching fish and throwing them into the large fish basket behind it.
These Slowpokes are slow to react and move, and have no ability to fight back.
"It seems the sound came from the gopher robot." They quickly ran down the passageway beside the rock wall.
"I just didn't see Mr. Steel."
"Ouch."
Ash was still running around in confusion when suddenly an old voice came from behind him.
"Ah, where did that sound come from?" Pear Blossom was startled.
"Move your foot away, little girl, you're stepping on my back!"
Unexpectedly, the sound came from a giant Slowpoke being trampled under Pear Blossom's feet.
However, upon closer inspection, it turns out to be just a well-made rag doll coat, and inside is an old man.
They quickly helped him up.
"You're not Mr. Steel, are you? Why are you dressed like that?"
"I'm Steel, and I dressed up like this so as not to scare the Slowpokes here." The old man took off his mask with a pained expression.
"This isn't the time to talk about this, let's think of a way to stop them!"
"Where did this robot come from? It's capturing Slowpokes here so freely!"
"I accidentally strained my back and ended up here while trying to avoid their attack."
Xiao Zhi was pretty much certain that these two robots—based on their style of doing things—were the ones he knew best.
"Alright, leave this to us, Mr. Steel."
"Xiaoxia and Lihua, please take care of the old man for now." This is what the big robot Xiaozhi will do.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have triggered a new side quest, "Slowpoke God": Please rescue the captured Slowpokes]
[Rewards: Alliance Coins +3000; Special Attack +1; HP +2; "Mr. Steel's Work Notes" +1]
"I heard it, who is this guy calling out to?"
"Generally, we don't tell you!"
"But this time we'll be especially kind in answering your question!"
"We are Team Rocket, blasting through the universe!"
"A pink and peach-colored tomorrow awaits us!"
It's obvious it's them; only the Rockets would install speakers on every machine and shout out their opening remarks.
"Long time no see. I thought you guys had reformed." Ash grinned as he approached, his fingers cracking as he clenched them.
"Just as expected, a little devil has appeared!"
Whenever Yamato and his friends start doing something bad, Ash will suddenly appear beside them like a curse to stop their plans.
But not this time!
"Hmph, to deal with you, we've sold our souls to the devil again and taken out high-interest loans, sob sob sob sob—" Kosaburo started crying as he spoke.
"But unexpectedly, there's always a way out! We've discovered so many Slowpokes. If we sell them, we can easily pay off all our debts!"
The robotic mole was running at full speed, and the two large nets continued to scoop up the Slowpokes relentlessly.
There are so many Slowpokes here, and they're as easy to catch as saltfish.
"That won't do! This is the adorable beast god that the entire town has worked so hard to support. How can we let you take it all away!"
Hearing what the Rockets said, Steel struggled to his feet, wanting to go down and help.
"What? It turns out that giant Slowpoke was an old man! We thought we'd encountered a rare individual."
"Try to stop us if you want!" Amado immediately activated the machine's attack button.
The gopher robot's net transformed into a giant drill and charged towards Ash.
With an instinctive kick, Xiao Zhi immediately kicked the drill bit away, but to his surprise, the drill bit was not damaged.
"Haha, this time we've meticulously crafted the machine's exterior, choosing a special metal that can absorb kinetic energy!"
"If you've spent the most money we could, little brat, you think you can still smash our robots like you used to? Well, try it!"
Their arrogant voices emanated from above the machine, and this time they were truly full of confidence as they manipulated the machine to launch another attack on Ash.
"Speaking of Yamato, doesn't that old man in the Slowpoke costume look familiar?"
At that moment, Kosaburo suddenly looked at Steel, who was cheering for Ash with a tense expression, not far away.
"Isn't that the objective of our mission?"
Yamato and Kosaburo didn't actually come to Azalea Town after Ash this time. After being knocked away by Leon last time, they happened to receive a call from Giovanni.
He ordered them to go to the nearby Azalea Town and capture Mr. Steel, the Pokémon Ball Master who lived there.
Unexpectedly, I encountered Slowpoke on my way to town, and I even forgot about it.
"A win-win situation, double happiness!"
Upon seeing the steel, their machines immediately turned their guns and charged towards Mr. Steel.
"What?" Steel was so frightened that he immediately turned and ran away.
But he soon twisted his waist again, and Xiaoxia and Lihua quickly dragged him aside.
"Don't be afraid of Mr. Steel, Ash is here," Misty comforted the old man.
As expected, Ash immediately ran over and blocked the Diglett machine, forcing it to stop and releasing his Pokémon.
"Go, Cyndaquil! Use Flamethrower!"
"Nino~"
Cyndaquil appeared with the same yawning, listless look as always, and sure enough, it spat out a small cloud of black mist.
Team Rocket was dumbfounded. "Hahaha, kid, you have such a useless Pokémon too!"
"Hey, why did Ash let Cyndaquil out?!"
"Team Rocket is there," Ash said to Misty, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Generally speaking, when we encounter difficulties, the Rockets might just be there to help us out."
Ash had originally hoped to see if he could solve the problem of Cyndaquil's inability to use Fire-type moves in the battle against Team Rocket.
It seems that people shouldn't be too superstitious.
"In that case, Cyndaquil, use Tackle!"
Even though it's not a fire-type move, Cyndaquil can still use it normally; it just dashed out.
It slammed into the side wall of the robot, but it didn't seem to have any effect.
The machine's casing doesn't resemble steel; rather, it's like a piece of highly elastic rubber that indents inward and then bounces back out.
The combined force of the impact is thus negated.
"Isn't that amazing? The seller said it's a special metal created by Arceus in ancient times!"
"Stop wasting time talking to them, just grab that old man too."
"Not only will I be able to pay off my debts, but I'll also regain Boss Sakaki's favor—just thinking about it makes me feel amazing!"
Urged on by Yamado, the robot sped past Cyndaquil and headed toward Mr. Steel's location.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"It's no use, how could we forget about electrical safety?"
As expected, Pikachu's electric shock had no effect.
With no other option, Xiao Zhi stepped in himself, rushing over and kicking the machine backward. The machine was quite heavy.
Meanwhile, inside the cockpit, Yamato and Kosaburo's hearts leaped into their throats the moment they were kicked away.
After the robot crashed to the ground, it bounced back quickly like a ball without sustaining any damage.
"That's wonderful!" Amado and Kosaburo embraced and wept.
"I'm finally not afraid of those little devils anymore!"
"Oh, that's really unexpected."
"How about that, kid? Even you couldn't break our robot!" Amazon was incredibly proud.
She sees it as a sign that they have surpassed Musashi in building robots.
"Not only Slowpoke and the old man, we're going to steal your Pokémon too!"
After saying that, they immediately operated the machine to catch the Cyndaquil that Ash had left outside.
"Their defense against physical attacks is indeed almost perfect," Ash said, giving them a slight nod of agreement.
However, Ash quickly noticed that sparks would occasionally fly out from Cyndaquil's back while it was dodging the robot's capture.
"But this robot is still made of metal, right?" Ash smiled.
"Cyndaquil uses Tackle again!"
The gopher robot's large claws tried to catch the fireball rat, but it always managed to dodge them with its agile movements.
Despite its small size, its agility is off the charts. It was truly unfair that it was defeated by Ash's Scizor in one sneak attack.
Otherwise, even if they can't unleash fire-type skills, they can at least hold their own for a while.
The fireball rat's impact hit the side of the gopher robot once again.
At this moment, Cyndaquil's fighting spirit was finally ignited, and raging flames erupted from the spots on its back.
"Nino!"
"Alright, this time it should be fine. Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!"
"Nino!"
"Hahaha, you useless brat. How could a tiny flame like this mouse possibly defeat our meticulously crafted robot?"
When the Cyndaquil opens its mouth, the flames shooting out from its tiny mouth are thicker than one could imagine.
Moreover, it continued to grow larger during launch, with the range of the flame pillar even exceeding the body of the mole robot.
"That's an exaggerated flame-breathing attack."
In Pear Blossom's view, it was like holding a giant fire tornado in her mouth.
Moreover, it was launched from Cyndaquil's tiny body, creating a strong visual contrast.
At this moment, Yamado and his team finally remembered that although this robot had achieved the ultimate in resistance to impact and electrical shock.
But ultimately it's made of sheet metal, and its thermal conductivity is extremely high.
"Ah, it's so hot, so hot, so hot!" The two people in the cockpit were already tap dancing.
With a bang, the giant robot exploded, sending Team Rocket flying back in the opposite direction from the tunnel they had dug.
It disappeared into the horizon, turning into distant stars.
"What an awful feeling!" x2
Congratulations on completing the side quest: Do a Good Deed Today: Defeat Team Rocket and stop their plot (62/∞)
[Rewards: Alliance Coins +100; Regional Favorability +5; Regional Reputation +1]
"Well done, Cyndaquil! You didn't disappoint!"
[Ding! Cyndaquil: Affection +2; Intimacy +2]
This Cyndaquil has an unimaginable talent for fire.
However, to truly showcase its abilities, it needs to engage in some warm-up battles to ignite its fighting spirit.
"What is this, a slow-starting Cyndaquil?" Ash picked up the Cyndaquil, and the flames on its back gradually went out.
It turned back into its usual yawning, listless mouse.
"From now on, Cyndaquil, you'll be called Toilet King."
"Nino?"
After Team Rocket's machine was destroyed, Ash also tore down the net that was trapping the Slowpokes.
The Slowpokes successfully escaped.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the side quest "Slowpoke God": Please rescue the captured Slowpokes]
[Rewards: Alliance Coins +3000; Special Attack +1; HP +2; "Mr. Steel's Work Notes" +1]
The pink monsters, who had been looking completely dazed before, remained remarkably calm after being rescued.
Or rather, he seemed even more dazed than before.
They all stood there dumbfounded, then lined up and climbed up towards the entrance of the large cave.
"What are they doing, Mr. Steel?" Ash and his friends wondered, following behind the Slowpoke team.
Some say Slowpokes are just a bunch of brainless idiots, while others say they are the epitome of wisdom disguised as foolishness.
"But they all have one thing in common: no one can guess what the Slowpokes are really thinking," Mr. Steel said.
That means—
"I don't know either."
"Wow, why did you make it sound so mysterious!"
Ash and his friends followed Steel to protect the Slowpokes as they moved forward.
After emerging from the cave, the group of Slowpokes gathered around the boulder at Slowpoke Well.
They sat side by side; this was the highest point in Hinoki Town, visible from anywhere in the town.
Then the Slowpokes started yawning one after another, like some kind of strange ritual.
Amazingly, after they finished yawning, the sky suddenly changed from clear blue to overcast.
"It's going to rain." Steel wiped away the raindrops that had fallen on his forehead with delight.
Before long, large raindrops began to pour down, and the town of Huipi, which had been parched for a long time, finally received the nourishment of rain.
"Great! It's Slowpoke! Slowpoke has appeared!"
The residents of Hinoki all ran outside and celebrated joyfully in the rare downpour.
The severe drought here can finally be alleviated.
"The ancients must have seen this kind of scene, which is why they worshipped Slowpoke as a god."
"Speaking of which, was this rain really summoned by the Slowpokes?" Ash asked curiously.
"I don't know, let's just assume it is." Steel has always believed that traditional wisdom has its reasons.
"Speaking of which, young people, what brings you here?"
At this moment, Mr. Steel, who was still wearing the Slowpoke costume, suddenly remembered that Ash and the others had said they were coming to find him.
"Oh right, we were actually introduced by Professor Oak."
"Damu?"
"So that's how it is. Ash, the young and outstanding trainer that Oak was talking about is you."
"He is indeed an amazingly talented trainer."
It's amazing that they could kick such a huge robot like a ball!
Back at Mr. Steel's house, Ash handed him the Gold and Silver Balls.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the side quest "The Secret of the Gold and Silver Balls": Please deliver the gold and silver balls to Steel in Azalea Town.]
[Rewards: Alliance Coins +2000; Stamina +1; Speed +1; Free Attribute Points +2]
"Okay, I understand. I'll do my best to unravel the secret of this Poké Ball tonight." Mr. Steel accepted the gold and silver balls and agreed.
"Don't worry about leaving it to my grandpa, he's a recognized Poké Ball Master." Chie also brought over tea and snacks to entertain Ash and the others.
"Indeed, Mr. Steel is known as a national treasure of the City Alliance."
His name is very famous in Ihwa, a local in Seongdu.
Incidentally, the national treasure of the Kanto region is Professor Oki.
"Haha, that's too kind of you."
Because Mr. Steel's research will take some time, and Ash and his friends are going to challenge the gym tomorrow anyway.
I'll stay at Mr. Steel's house for now.
"Speaking of Ash, what do you think those Poké Balls might be used for?"
After leaving the living room, Xiaoxia asked Xiaozhi curiously.
"Well, I really don't know. Maybe there's some amazing Pokémon inside."
Speaking of which, Ash also knows how to make Gold and Silver Balls; he was given them as a reward by the system after completing a mission.
Take it out of the space; the paper, of unknown material, is covered with a variety of complex procedures that are both primitive and complicated.
"The raw materials required are Lugia's Silver Feather and Ho-Oh's Rainbow Feather. That's a bit too precious."
Moreover, it takes a total of 49 days and several processes of repeated grinding and hammering to create a single ball.
Is it really worth spending so much effort to create a ball with unknown effects? Ash doesn't know, but he'll just leave it to Mr. Steel.
He's a master, I'm sure he can crack it.
Now Ash and his friends are going to the mountain with Chie to pick fruit.
Mr. Steel's unique skill is that he can turn citrus fruits of different colors into Poké Balls with various functions.
Seeing the berries clanging under Mr. Steel's hammer in the Steel Workshop, Ash fell silent.
"This must be a tree fruit."
When you pick it from the tree, it feels like a tree fruit, so why does it make a hammering sound?
Since he didn't understand the Pokémon world, he didn't need to know so much about it, and Ash chose to accept it.
After a mysterious forging and quenching process, the already reddened tree fruit was placed in the iron furnace and roasted for a while.
And just like that, a brand new Poké Ball is born!
"Wow, that's amazing! Seeing it with my own eyes is truly incredible."
Ash wants to learn the skill of turning berries into Poké Balls by simply pounding them with his hands.
If we could crack the method, imagine how much more money the group could make in the future.
These days, it's extremely expensive for my company to build a proper Poké Ball.
High-precision machinery and expensive metal materials make a Poké Ball production line really expensive.
If it weren't for the League's subsidies for trainers buying Poké Balls...
Otherwise, if a regular Poké Ball costs 200, the company wouldn't make a single cent of profit from selling them.
However, this is his special skill, and it would be inappropriate to ask him to teach it directly if you are not related to him.
The previous mission rewards seemed to include Mr. Steel's Work Notes, which Ash plans to study later.
Mr. Steel crafted a Lure Ball, a Speed Ball, and a Weight Ball for Ash and his friends, and gave them to them.
Consider this a return gift for helping Slowpoke get rid of Team Rocket.
-yawn-
That evening, Steel studied the GS gold and silver balls at his workbench for a while, his expression becoming increasingly serious.
Suddenly, he thought of something.
He quickly got up and rummaged through his box, finally finding a very old-fashioned blueprint.
And the content above is exactly the same as the diagram in Ash's diagram showing how to make Gold and Silver Balls.
It just has an even more ancient feel, and there seem to be marks left by its previous owner on the back of the drawings.
Although the marks are blurred, you can still vaguely make out that it is a simple line drawing of Pikachu.
"Just as I suspected!"